In Baltimore County Public Schools, reflecting on progress and priorities has informed our development of a proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2016, which I plan to present to the school board tonight.
Our school system has garnered significant attention for integrating technology into instruction, but education is primarily a human endeavor. At the heart of the educational process is the interaction between teacher and student. And behind our 8,800 teachers are another 10,000 staff members working to make positive classroom experiences possible. Our proposed budget for fiscal 2016 reflects appropriate cost of living adjustments, which clearly demonstrate that all BCPS employees are essential and valued.
Because our staff is so skilled, we have made noteworthy progress in just a few years. A prime example of this is S.T.A.T. (Students and Teachers Accessing Tomorrow), which began this school year in 10 elementary schools, offering students more individualized instruction through the integrated use of one-to-one devices in student-centered learning environments. The principals of these schools report that students are more engaged, disciplinary incidents are down, and attendance has increased. Through our proposed 2016 budget, we seek to make S.T.A.T. available to more students throughout Baltimore County.
Offering student-centered learning is imperative as our enrollment continues to grow. In particular, a rise in the number of English language learner students requires us to provide staff and programming to support this student group. In the past decade, this student population has grown by over 181 percent to more than 4,200 students. This trend is seen throughout Maryland.
The funds required to offer a high-quality, equitable education to 110,000 students are considerable, but this investment cannot be delayed. Other resolutions can be made and forgotten before the end of January without much impact, but what we do — or fail to do — for our children can change their lives and our future.
Dallas Dance, Towson
The writer is Baltimore County superintendent of schools.